5 things you need to know this morning: Dec. 17, 2018

Start your day off right with five things you need to know this morning.

Five things you need to know

1. Canadian family told to take down their ice rink

An Ottawa family just wanted the neighbourhood kids to have a place to skate and shoot the puck around, but certain neighbours are having none of it. Neighbours call the backyard rink an “eyesore” and claim it violates city bylaws. CTV Ottawa got involved and brought the story to the attention of Mayor Jim Watson, who said he’s asked senior staff to review the case.

I have asked senior staff to review this. We are a hockey nation and what can be wrong with playing hockey in your own backyard? I hope to have more information tomorrow to solve this so called problem!

The annual Miss Universe competition was held on Sunday night and for the fourth time, Miss Philippines came out victorious. Catriona Gray bested 93 other candidates to win the crown. Last night’s competition also marked the first time there was a transgender Miss Universe contestant, which was Angela Ponce of Spain.

The 2018 Word of the Year is ‘justice,’ according to Merriam-Webster. The dictionary says the word was looked up 74% more than in 2017, making it the top searched word of the year. The concept of justice was at the centre of many national and international debates over the last year.

For a number of reasons and meanings, ‘justice’ was on the minds of many in 2018.

Comedian Pete Davidson appeared on Saturday Night Live over the weekend, albeit briefly. It was a welcome sight for fans, as concern was starting to grow after Davidson’s recent social media post, which said he doesn’t want to be on this earth anymore. He didn’t appear in any live sketches on Saturday, but did introduce Miley Cyrus and Mark Ronson for their second song.

Google will be setting up shop in New York. The company revealed it has lease agreement on a 1.7-million square-foot space at 315 and 345 Hudson St, as well as 550 Washington St. With the new space, Google will be able to significantly add to their staff in New York over the next decade.